p. 12 | Go to Work by E. A. Sutherland

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 23, 1902

Go to Work

By E. A. Sutherland

E. A. SUTHERLAND

“Go to work, whether you feel like it or not. Engage in personal effort to bring souls to Jesus and the knowledge of the truth. In such labor you will find both a stimulus and a tonic; it will both arouse and strengthen. By exercise your spiritual powers will become more vigorous, so that you can with better success work out your own salvation. The stupor of death is upon many who profess Christ. . . . In the effort to bless others, your own souls will be blessed. We have the theory of the truth, and now we need to seek most earnestly for its sanctifying power.”

“A great work can be done by presenting to the people the Bible just as it reads. Carry the Word of God to every man’s door, urge its plain statements upon every man’s conscience, repeat to all the Saviour’s command; ‘Search the Scriptures.’ Admonish them to take the Bible as it is, to implore divine enlightenment, and then, when the light shines, gladly to accept each precious ray, and fearlessly abide the consequences.”

“Truths which have proved an overmatch for giant intellects are understood by babes in Christ.”

We who have invited Christ, the great missionary, into our flesh should surrender our faculties completely to him, and go about doing good. The best proof that Christ is abiding in us is a willingness to carry the plain, simple story of salvation to our neighbors and to the world. Many are willing to do this, but they feel timid about starting. The essential preparation comes with complete confidence in the power of God to save from sin. The individual who desires to do missionary work knows that his sins are forgiven. He knows that Christ is abiding in his heart. He believes that there is power in the Word of God to convict the sinner of sin when it is presented in simple faith by one who has felt the power of the Word cleansing him from sin. Those who have had this experience will not allow affairs of a material nature to hinder them from doing this kind of work for their neighbors. From those who have been faithful in working for their neighbors, will be gathered hundreds and thousands of workers to leave home and carry this simple gospel to those in distant lands.

“The very first impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour. Those who do not possess this desire give evidence that they have lost their first love.”

“The missionary spirit is a spirit of personal sacrifice.”